"No, mademoiselle, Boulevard Beaumarchais, 98."

"That is quite a long distance."

"No, mademoiselle; you know, if you don't leave the boulevard, you are soon there."

"Oh! I know all about that, and if there is no great hurry----"

"Can you carry it within an hour?"

"Yes, I will go within an hour."

"By the way, madame wants also to order a smaller one for to-morrow, to take to a wedding or a ball; madame will explain to you about it. So she can rely upon the bouquet, mademoiselle?"

"To be sure, monsieur, as I have received the money. You say Madame de Belleval, Boulevard Beaumarchais, 98?"

"That's it; good-morning."

The servant disappeared, and Violette began to select her finest flowers, saying to herself:

"It seems that this is likely to be a good customer! I can make as much as I choose! To think that Georget, when he was without money the other day and his mother was sick, didn't apply to me! And he says that he loves me! Perhaps I spoke too harshly to him; and he thinks that I have an unfeeling heart; I don't want him to think that!"

When the girl had finished the bouquet, with which she took the greatest care, she asked a neighbor to look after her booth and started for Boulevard Beaumarchais; she arrived at the number given her; she entered an attractive, newly-built house and asked the concierge:

"Madame de Belleval?"

The concierge a.s.sumed the expression of a person who does not know what one means; then suddenly he remembered and slapped his leg, exclaiming:

"Ah! what a stupid fool I am! I forgot all about it.--Go up to the fifth floor, the door at the right, for Madame de Belleval."

"The fifth floor?"

"Yes, the door at the right."

Violette went upstairs, saying to herself:

"That concierge acted very strangely when he answered me; perhaps he always has that manner. It's surprising that a lady who buys such handsome bouquets should live so high; but lodgings are very dear now; and after all, it's none of my business."

And without the slightest suspicion, the girl quickly climbed the five flights and rang at the door on the right hand. It was opened immediately, and a woman who had the appearance of a box-opener out of a job said to Violette:

"Ah! mamzelle has brought the bouquet; that's good! Come in, mamzelle, come in."

"But I only have to deliver the bouquet,--it is paid for."

"No matter; come in, mamzelle, she wants to speak to you; wait a minute."

And the girl was almost pushed into a small salon the door of which was at once closed upon her.

"To be sure," thought Violette, "that servant told me that his mistress wanted to order a bouquet for a ball to-morrow. I will wait. It isn't very fine here; it's pretty enough, but it's funny that there's no coquetry, no taste in the arrangement; I should think that I was in a gentleman's room rather than a lady's. And that woman who let me in--she's neither a lady's maid nor a cook. I believe that I am rather frightened here; I am inclined to go away."

And Violette had already taken several steps toward the door of the salon, when it opened and Jericourt appeared before her, in dressing-gown and slippers, like a person in his own home.

The flower girl uttered a cry; she realized that she had fallen into a trap; but in an instant she recovered her courage, and Violette had an ample store of it; in her case, fright was but temporary. She raised her head therefore and gazed steadfastly at the man before her.

Jericourt a.s.sumed one of his most winning smiles and stepped toward the girl.

"You didn't expect to see me, did you, bewitching damsel?"

"No, monsieur, I am waiting for a lady, Madame de Belleval; am I in her apartment?"

"Madame de Belleval is--is my aunt, dear child, and I live with her."

"Ah! you live here? Well, why doesn't your aunt come, monsieur? I have no business with you, and if this aunt doesn't mean to come then I will go about my business."

And Violette took several steps toward the door; but Jericourt barred her pa.s.sage and led her back into the salon, saying:

"Mon Dieu! how quick you are! Are you in such a great hurry, pray? Take a seat--she is coming."

As she did not choose to disclose her apprehensions, Violette decided to sit down for a moment. Whereupon the young man also took a chair and placed it beside her and very near.

"Do you know, charming girl, that I am overjoyed to have a chat with you at last? I have wanted it a long while, and it is so hard to obtain the slightest favor from you!"

"Are you going to repeat the same song as on the boulevard, monsieur? I know it already; I have no wish to learn it by heart, for, as I have told you, I don't like the tune."

"How unkind you are! But this little outburst of anger makes you prettier than ever! Women who surrender at once cease to have any value; whereas your conquest would be a genuine triumph."

"Your aunt doesn't come, monsieur, so I will go."

"My aunt! Ha! ha! ha! that's a good one! do you still believe in that, little one?"

"What, monsieur, is it a lie? And this Madame de Belleval, who sent to me for this bouquet----"

"Never existed except in my imagination. I wanted to decoy you to my rooms, for you refused to come willingly; so I resorted to stratagem.

That's often done--it's fair fighting."

"Oh! but it's an outrage!--So the concierge whom I asked for that lady----"

"I had warned him that someone would ask for a person of that name, and I ordered him to send her up to me; it's as simple as good-day."

"And that woman who opened the door and told me that Madame de Belleval would come in a minute----"

"Is an obliging neighbor; I paid her for that little service with a ticket to the theatre."

"Why, this is frightful! And there are people who lend a hand to such outrages!"

"My dear child, you make a great fuss over a very small matter! To try to obtain a tete-a-tete with a pretty flower girl is no great crime; I might have kept up the deception much longer, but I am very honest, you see; I play with my cards on the table.--Come, don't be angry; you will have to end by calming down, anyway. Let's make peace at once, and seal the treaty with a kiss."

Before Jericourt could put his lips to Violette's face, she rose and ran toward the door; but the young man ran after her and detained her by putting his arm about her waist.